Simple Things You Can Do to Save Energy at Home

It is many homeowners’ goal to save energy in their homes and minimize their electric bills. Undoubtedly, electricity is the most basic service we need at home because we simply cannot function well without it. However, a lot of new appliances and gadgets are now operating without the use of electricity, which lowers our dependence on it. There are also things you can do around the house to help save energy and cut down on your electricity costs each month.

Here are a few effective home energy saving tips that will help you in increasing your savings:

1. Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you leave a room. This is the simplest way to save energy. Also unplug all appliances when they are not in use because they still use a small amount of energy even when they are idle if they are plugged in.
2. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs are more expensive, but they use 75% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. Aside from that, they also last up to 10 times longer.
3. Install outlet and light switch foam gaskets on your exterior walls. Electrical boxes that have switches and outlets extend into the wall cavity and can allow outside air infiltration. The foam gasket installed beneath the outlet and switch covers will minimize drafts.
4. If your water heater is located in an area of the house that is unheated, insulate your hot water heater. Surrounding it with a water heater blanket can decrease stand-by heat loss by 25-40%.
5. Be familiar with refrigerator cooling or condenser coils. The coils can be found by removing the cover panel located at the bottom of the front side of the refrigerator. The coils are more efficient when clean and dust-free. Use a vacuum nozzle to remove the dust once a year.
6. Check your refrigerator temperature settings. Always inspect the door latch and seals of your fridge. To ensure an air tight fit and seal, replace old adhesive seals.  Frost accumulation is inefficient, so defrost your freezer once in a while.
7. During warmer weather, open all your windows to allow fresh air to come in rather than using your air-conditioning unit.

Heather & Alan Davis
Oklahoma City Realtors
http://www.alanandheatherdavis.com